Le Jardin des Plantes, Botanical garden in 5th arrondissement, France.
Le Jardin des Plantes is a botanical garden with multiple sections that display plant families systematically and recreate different natural environments. The site also includes historic greenhouses and a natural history museum housing collections of skeletons and fossils.
The site began in 1634 as a royal garden for medicinal plants and was originally a place for medical research. After the French Revolution, it became the National Museum of Natural History in 1793 and evolved into an institution for scientific collection and education.
The name reflects centuries of plant collecting that shaped Paris's relationship with botany and scientific study. Today, the garden remains a place where locals and tourists come to learn about nature and find quiet moments away from the city streets.
The garden is open daily with free access to the outdoor areas, while the greenhouses and museums require tickets. Plan several hours to explore all sections, especially if you want to visit both the plant collections and the museum displays.
Some trees on the grounds date from the 18th century, including a cedar planted by an early botanist that still grows today. This ancient cedar stands as a quiet witness to the long history of scientific work at this location.
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